The Red Asari Sisterhood
by AmericanHind
Summary: Liara is helpless. Shepard is dying and being kept against her will after fighting so hard against the Reapers, and there is nothing the asari can do about it. But when she gets a call from a mysterious Doctor, Liara is given the chance to both save the Commander, and change their lives forever. Full of fluff, adventure, and lightheartedness. Read inside for a full Author's Note.
1. Chapter 1

The biting cold tore at Liara's clothing as she trudged forward through the deep, icy snow. Through her goggles, which were clouding up around the edges with ice splinters, Liara could just see a few feet ahead of her. Her thick winter clothing was made specifically for temperatures like these; Liara had been exposed to this kind of weather the day her mother died on Noveria.

Beneath her heavy wrappings, Liara shivered and tried clenching her jaw to stop her teeth from chattering out of her skull. Every few yards she would flash her hands with dark energy, briefly filling her with warmth on the inside. All around her, dark trees moaned and creaked in the wind as if they were talking to one another. What she wouldn't give to be back at home in her own warm apartment.

"Are you alright, Doctor T'Soni?!" a gruff voice called up from behind her.

Liara glanced back to the corner of her vision, her cerulean eyes resting on a familiar human male. Similarly dressed in winter protection gear was Liara's hired bodyguard, Allan Upshur. While he didn't have the benefit of biotics to help him maintain body heat, Allan was trained to handle this type of weather from his training in the Alliance. An ex-marine, and friend of James Vega, he was reported to be a loyal friend if you allowed him. So far she took him for a man who took his job seriously enough to be dependable.

"Fine, Allan," Liara assured him. "Let's just get up this mountain."

The Athame Mountain Range on Thessia was known for its intensive winds and poor weather conditions. The only ships capable of carrying carry passengers up the mountains were large craft with mass effect fields that surrounded them, but no such ship was available for rental. The Reaper War had only just ended a year ago, and the galaxy was still in a state of disarray. Liara was amongst the first asari to return home to Thessia from Earth along with the victory fleet.

Liara looked up and gasped in surprise and relief. She pointed ahead and cried, "There, Allan! It's the compound!"

The human bodyguard hastened his pace and passed Liara as she began to climb once more through the snow. He moved remarkably fast through the conditions and marched straight to the walled compound that was their destination.

When Liara met up with him at the wall, Allan was already pressing his thumb to a pressure pad, activating a large red glowing light on the crest of the wall. It flashed every time he pressed the pad. Liara waited in anticipation as Allan repeatedly pressed the pad, flashing the light in an attempt to gain someone's attention for entry.

"Hey!" Allan called, "Open up!" Liara could barely hear him over the howling winds, but she joined in anyway in hope that someone was listening.

"_Rangala!_" Liara exclaimed, "It's Doctor Liara T'Soni! I've arrived as you have asked!"

Doctor Enya Rangala was a matriarch, geneticist, and recluse that operated in secret in the middle of nowhere. Her land had been bypassed by the reapers, because the area appeared uninhabitable from afar. Liara had wondered on the trip to the mountains as to why Rangala had isolated herself so far from anyone else, but it was not her real concern. While Rangala was as mysterious as she was reclusive, she had tempted Liara with something the former Shadow Broker couldn't ignore.

Ah, the Shadow Broker. A now extinct figure in the galaxy. Liara had checked her feeds before she had left her apartment, and unsurprisingly, she had had no check-in's from any of her operatives. The network was in complete disarray from a severe decline in personnel and equipment, and without comm-buoys, Liara was without any way to contact the few survivors. She didn't have a QEC for personal use after all. Lacking both the motivation and the resources to rebuild it, Liara had settled to help her people in a more public manor. She worked closely with the surviving matriarchs and military officials, and used her fame from the Normandy to give her the support she needed to get her people what they so desperately needed.

Liara had been resting in a soft chair, reading feeds describing the asari people's current situation, hardships and shortages. While her Broker network had been rendered completely defunct because of the galactic genocide, she still had enough contacts left to make an impact in getting her people what they needed. Coupled with her fame of being a crucial member of the _Normandy's_ crew and her intensive romantic relationship with the galaxy's paladin, Liara was as much a living legend as Shepard.

And Shepard was alive. She had survived a direct blast from a reaper beam, had survived the bullet wounds and the claw marks given by the husks. She'd survived, and her unconscious form had been recovered from the activated crucible by the _Normandy _just before it shot through the relay to get to the rendezvous point. But she wouldn't be alive for long…

Shepard was dying. While her injuries were extensive, Shepard's body was slowly succumbing to the loss of functionality in her nanites and biotic implants. When the crucible beam fired, it had effected all of the reaper based technology within Shepard's body, rendering it inactive. Even Miranda Lawson, the very woman who had returned Shepard from the dead, was unable to reactivate the nanites without the appropriate resources. She had no way of reviving the machines that kept the commander alive. All they could do was keep her in stasis until a plan could be devised to save her.

Liara had fought for the right to take her lover home with her to a heavily defended and very safe compound on Thessia where she could keep her human under watch. However, the response from humanity had been deafening. When news came out that the asari wanted to take Shepard to her homeworld, all of humanity cried out against it. They claimed that Shepard was their hero and rightfully belonged with the Alliance. They had spoken as if Shepard was already dead and her body a possession. Instead, Shepard had been kept in stasis and moved to Earth, where she was under heavy guard by Alliance military forces. Liara was not permitted to see the commander, despite having aid and support from the _Normandy_ crew.

Hackett was dead alongside his entire staff; his dreadnought had been hit at the last second of the reaper's existence. His death had elevated the only surviving human admiral, Mikhailovich, to command. Mikhailovich cared little for what a distressed asari thought about losing her mate. Even Spectre Williams was denied access, a direct violation of council law. But, with the council still in a state of disarray, nothing could be done. Restoring the galaxy was everyone's priority now.

Liara was in the midst of reading over her feeds and plotting all sorts of ways to kill Mikhailovich when she received a mysterious call from a Doctor Rangala through a private connection. The doctor offered a way to restore the commander to full health without nanites, and promised that it was within her power to give the commander a better life. She continued to say that she had somehow seen what the Alliance was trying to do to revive Shepard and said that no progress was being made. In fact, she knew that the so called 'experts' were claiming that nothing could be done... that they should let nature take its course. In other words: let Shepard die already.

Rangala had requested that Liara visit her estate as soon as she was able; to see for herself what the matriarch had in mind. No words had been spoken as to what Rangala wanted in return for giving Shepard life, if she even could do such a thing. Liara's mind was constantly plagued by that question. Hopefully, Liara would learn something of value on this trip. Otherwise… the idea of little blue children was quickly becoming harder and harder to imagine.

"It's opening!" Allan yelled over the wind. "The gate!" The wall ahead of them slowly began to pulled apart like large warehouse doors. It groaned and creaked as if the door hadn't been opened in years, though Liara wouldn't be surprised if that was indeed the case. Liara, impatient with the slow pace the doors were opening to, turned to her side and squeezed through.

She was met by incredible warmth, a complete lack of sound, and lush grass beneath her soaked boots. Liara gasped and looked around. The compound was obviously surrounded by a mass effect field that shut out all cold. The dome covering the compound had a holographic image of a sun and puffy white clouds on a bright blue backdrop on display. Thick green grass covered the ground. It was a beautiful courtyard, with a sole wooden bench and a simple pond beside a massive tree with brilliant orange and red leaves.

Liara stepped to the edge the courtyard and took in her surroundings, wondering where Rangala would be. A three story building with inviting stone pillars and dark rich wooden walls sat to her right. She wondered if Rangala or her visitors spent much time reading a book in the loft visible through the large tinted windows above the double doors. The building to her left was almost the exact opposite in design from the first. Liara assumed that it would be a lab of some sort based on its utilitarian looks and several large vents reaching up through the digital ceiling. She guessed that the entire compound was about the size of her mother's estate party halls, which were now destroyed and in ruins.

Liara briefly wondered how the matriarch kept her slice of paradise so well kept, her fatigued mind straying from her current task. The grass was finely cut, the hulking tree in the middle appeared strong and healthy, and the pond was so still it might have been glass. It was peaceful and quiet, a place that Liara herself would enjoy after the chaos of the invasion.

"Well, isn't this a nice change in scenery," Allan said, his voice muffled behind his coverings. He looked up and saw that the light he had been flashing was visible on this side of the digital dome, but nothing else of the outside world was. When the gates closed behind them, they were completely immersed in this stranded Garden of Eden.

"It certainly is," Liara agreed. With a gloved hand, Liara slowly drew back her long hood and pulled down her face mask and goggles. Allan did the same, revealing large blue eyes, clean shaven face, and thick mop of brown hair that had been ruffled beneath his hood. Liara could tell that he found this whole expedition exciting, just by his looking around the courtyard.

"Where do you think the matriarch is?" Allan asked. "In one of these buildings?"

"Hello there!" a voice called out.

Allan and Liara looked up in surprise and saw none other than Matriarch Rangala leaning on one of the posts on her front porch. Her skin was a deep blue, although her eyes were rimmed with amber. Her face wasn't touched by any tattoos or paint, but clear and regal looking with high cheek bones an elegant crest that could only be pulled off by an asari of considerable age. However, she bore no wrinkles or any real signs of age. She was tall as well, and her lips pulled back into a thin smile. She appeared friendly enough, but this trait appeared in many people and Liara wasn't duped by it nowadays. The matriarch was dressed in a simple, loose fitting tunic and form fitting pants beneath a cliché lab coat.

"Doctor T'Soni," Rangala greeted respectfully, stepping off her porch and moving swiftly along the grass. "It's a pleasure to meet you in person." She stopped before Liara, her eyes moving to rest on the human male just to the former Broker's right. "I'm afraid I do not know your name, sir…?"

"Allan Upshur," the man replied, carefully masking his suspicion. Liara was glad that he had enough sense to share his first and last name to the matriarch. It was considered improper among her people to do otherwise.

"A pleasure, sir, and you are the first human I have laid eyes on in person," Rangala said with yet another respectful nod. She looked back to Liara and said, "Doctor, I know that time is off the essence of you, and we do not know how long Shepard will be kept alive with those ingrates they call medical professionals. We can share pleasantries once you have successfully revived Shepard, but for now, follow me so that I can explain what I have in mind." She paused, "I'd offer you time to rest, but…"

"We understand, madam matriarch," Liara nodded. "I am eager to continue as soon as possible." She turned her head. "Allan, if you wish you may stay here and rest."

"I wouldn't be doing my job if I sat around," Allan replied with a smile. "I can manage."

"Well then, follow me," Rangala said, gesturing to the box building on the other side of the tree. "I have much to say."

* * *

Liara was led into the building by Rangala, her bodyguard in tow. He critically eyed everything and there was much to take in. The lab was a sterile room that had an incredibly high ceiling. Long counters and lab tables were covered in notes, datapads, OSD's, beakers, heaters, ovens, scales, machinery that looked as advanced as Liara had seen on Lazarus station before it was destroyed. It was jaw dropping, at least to Allan.

"I'll start off by saying this," Rangala began. She turned on her heel and opened her arms wide. "This is my legacy, doctor. I've spent the last three hundred years with a single goal in mind: discover how to rewrite the makeup of DNA using a medicine that will cure any affliction with a mere injection." She lowered her arms.

"My… goal was the result of… a certain taboo affliction that I myself carried," Rangala said softly. She reached over to a lab table to her left and produced a single vial of blue liquid from a container on a shiny, sterilized shelf. "This is the result of my research. This is that medicine. It jump starts the nervous system and corrects any...abnormalities, boosts the immune system to extraordinary levels, and increases motor control. It causes cells to reproduce as quickly as in an asari in any levo-based life form, and it increases the speed of blood clotting tenfold. It is essentially a booster, increasing every level of the body's abilities."

"It passed all trials, including my own personal one," Rangala stated. "I'm cured of my affliction, and feel as young as I did a thousand years ago. I am completely healthy, Doctor T'Soni, and so can Shepard if you use this vial."

Liara was dumbstruck by the information. Flabbergasted. How could what this woman said be real? She claimed to be a thousand years old and yet feel as young as Liara? She claimed that this small vial cured any affliction and injury? Increased cell reproduction? She couldn't stop staring at the woman before her with a loose jaw, unable to comprehend the information.

"This could cure Shepard?" Allan asked, breaking the drawn out silence.

"Yes, human," Rangala nodded. "Heal her totally, of any physical scar or injury or disease. More than that - she will never grow sick, she will heal quicker should she sustain further injury, and it will increase her lifespan by a thousand years." Liara shuddered at the thought of Shepard sustaining more injuries…

"Increase her lifespan?!" Liara cried.

"As I said, T'Soni," Rangala replied earnestly. "Her cells will reproduce as fast as an asari. She will live as long as you do, be your loving bondmate until the day you yourself return to the Goddess's embrace."

Liara's heart raced, her brain was going a mile a minute to process this. Shepard. Her mate for a thousand years. Daughters that Shepard would see into adulthood. Granddaughters that Shepard could meet. A life beyond war, with Liara for centuries. Liara would never have to be without Shepard again. Ever. But of course, despite her fantasies clouding her mind, they were quickly dashed with the realization that this all sounded too good to be true. Her rational mind returned to her.

"What is the catch, Rangala?" Liara asked. "I wish to see the data myself, and I want to know what you expect in return for giving me this."

"I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't first look over my research," Rangala nodded. "Though, I think you would take my offer regardless, doctor. Shepard will die otherwise. As for my price… I think it is reasonable."

"What price?" Liara demanded.

Rangala took a deep breath and slowly stepped close to Liara, enough so that Allan did the same, and Liara could smell the matriarch's soap.

"During my time out here," Rangala started, "I became understandably lonely. My affliction caused me to be unable to share a romantic relationship. Unable to have a truly _intimate_ relationship. If I returned to civilization, I would be sent off to a place where I would be forgotten. When my disease was discovered by everyone, I suddenly became a fugitive, despite all I had accomplished. Do you have an idea as to what disease I am speaking of?"

Liara suddenly went cold. The proximity of this woman began to frighten her, truly frighten her, and Liara's mind went to the Justicar Samara.

"I see you do," Rangala said upon seeing the realization in Liara's eyes. "And yes, Doctor T'Soni. I. Am. Cured. And so will every asari who has suffered the way I have. They will get another thousand years to love and live, and every one of those terrible monasteries will be burned to the ground." Rangala quickly composed herself of her anger and straightened her back. She took another breath.

"Being an… _one of my kind_, I was unable to produce children," Rangala said. "So, I took matters into my own hands and decided to create a single, perfect daughter for me to cherish… using science. I used the perfect DNA to create her in a dish. The DNA of a talented _asari_ academic, a competitive _asari_ athlete, and even a master _asari_ tactician." Liara inwardly gasped at the thought of an Ardat-Yakshi raising a child. "I made her perfect. Perfect in physical form, mind, vital systems and organs, and when I finished my cure only four months ago, I gave her complete invulnerability to all known diseases. She was created in a capsule, as I could not carry her, and I waited with anticipation for fifteen months for her to be ready for birth." Rangala's eyes softened and she back away.

"I have only interacted with her twice," Rangala said softly. "Once to lock her capsule in stasis, and the second to inject her with the cure. She's been lying still, unconscious, alive and ready to be born for two hundred years."

Once again, Liara was stupefied by this woman. What in the Goddess's holy name could have driven this woman to lock an unborn child in stasis for _two centuries_?! Why would she do this?! And why… was she sharing this?

"What does this have to do with me?" Liara asked seriously.

"My price is that you take this child as your own," Rangala said gravely. "Raise her, give her a life of grandeur and everlasting love and warmth. Be everything to her."

"Why haven't you done so yourself?" Liara asked. "Why is she locked away?"

"The girl suffers from a genetic skin disorder caused by an oversight on my part," Rangala said darkly. "I never attempted to make another daughter again, the guilt too great but not enough for me to release her anyway. You must see her for yourself to truly understand. Whenever I look at her, I am ashamed. She was never going to have a normal life with me as her mother, but now she will never be accepted by anyone. You must see her for yourself to truly understand her."

Liara spoke without thinking, "That would be best, doctor. But why do you want me, of all people, to look after her?"

"Who better, Doctor T'Soni?" Rangala asked. "You are a great mind, doctor. I've read your work. You've lectured in Serrice University's halls and have had the best upbringing in a notable asari line. You've been one of the most pivotal characters in the recent war which almost wiped out the entire galaxy. You will keep the child safe. And let's not forget Shepard, doctor. She will make a wonderful parent. Disciplined yet caring, a true role model if the articles are to be believed."

"Most are," Liara murmured.

She supposed that was true. Liara and Shepard, while it had gone unspoken, had obviously both wanted children. But she wasn't ready for a child! Not yet! But… she had wanted one ever since Shepard had returned from her journey through the Omega 4 relay, hadn't she? The thought of raising a child with Shepard had frequented her dreams so often, it gave Liara an incentive to sleep even when she buried herself in her work. It made some nights truly bearable.

Rangala paced her way over to the far wall of the lab and moved behind several large counters. She ducked down and removed a panel from the floor. Liara watched as she disappeared beneath the lab into a dark room that made Liara's heart throb. The child had been placed in the dark… not even her capsule, her prison, had seen the light of day. Rangala was gone for ten minutes, long enough for Liara to lose herself in her thoughts and for Allan to look around some more. It gave Liara time to process some things more, and baffle at others. _Goddess Athame… watch over me_, she thought to herself.

Liara steeled herself when she saw Rangala return from the room beneath the floor, holding a large metal cylinder with a glass window on the front. It was then, when Rangala carried the cylinder across the lab to her, that Liara glimpsed the child for the first time.

She was a baby, looking fresh out of the mother's womb while she floated in a pink liquid. She lacked an umbilical cord, but she had her thumb in her mouth. Her crests were barely visible, merely thin lines atop her head, and Liara knew there were tiny nubs on the back. She was a perfectly healthy looking baby, aside from one thing: her skin was a deep, rich scarlet from head to toe. Not a stich of familiar blue or purple. But flawless, smooth rosy skin that rendered Liara speechless in both wonder and shock.

"What is she?" Was the first thing Liara said, and she immediately wished she could take it back.

"She's asari just as you and I are," Rangala said softly. "She's... the **_Red Asari_**."

* * *

A/N: Let me start off by saying that I am long overdue in continuing the series that brought out the writer in me, and has been an important part of my life for the past year. As I have progressed as a writer, with the help of steadfast reviewers and a Beta Reader who is actively interested in what I have to offer, I have always wanted to give my characters the best possible story. In the beginning I aimed to please the reviewers, and ultimately that ended up with a jumbled mess of a story that I myself did not want to read. I took it down for that reason, and began to rewrite three quarters of the story. And what came of it was a great story, in my honest opinion, about a girl who was different, but managed to find herself a haven in which to thrive. All of this taking place in one of my favorite video games of all time. And people enjoyed the story.

But I was still learning as a writer. So that is why, while I will tie up the ending for the old story, I will be creating a revised version with considerable more detail and length. As I said before, I want this story to be the best I can offer to both my characters, myself, and to the reader. However in the end, it's really written with my likes and ideas first.

If you are already a fan of my series, then be assured that the old will be tied up. I won't leave it hanging. I do not know when it will be, but it will be.

If you are a new reader, than welcome, and I hope you enjoy what has been a passion of mine for a year now. Thank you all for reading-

-American Hind.


	2. Chapter 2

Liara eased herself into the grass beside the pond with her survival gear stripped away. She was left wearing her white compressions suit, a form fitting suit that resembled a typical commando uniform but more for protection against the elements rather than bullets. Liara unzipped the front of the suit, allowing the cool air to hit her chest. Liara stared at her reflection in the water, the fatigue she was feeling beginning to show on her features.

All Liara had to do was look an inch to her right to see the upper rim of the red asari's capsule beside her. Liara's eyes immediately darted to the left, trying not to look at the child. There was something so… disarming about the child that made Liara weary. The red skin was too difficult not to stare at. She just… floated in there. Unaware but alive. Innocent of the galaxy, ignorant of the reapers. That thought alone made Liara envious.

Liara's eyes returned to the child and she stared. The unborn asari had her thumb placed firmly in her mouth, suckling softly. She was curled into the fetal position. Liara quickly averted her eyes and clenched them shut.

"You do not feel anything but disgust with her, don't you?" Rangala asked, standing on the other side of Liara. She stared at her through the reflection in the pond.

"I am being forced to adopt a child I am not prepared to care for," Liara said quietly. "And she's… not what I expected my first daughter to be. But I am not disgusted."

"Perhaps you merely need to hold her once," Rangala suggested, "to feel her in your arms. Until you are in a properly sterilized environment like this, I do not suggest you release her. My home would be perfect for her birth."

"I'm merely resting for a moment," Liara said, slowly rising to her feet. "I wish to be on my way with your cure within the hour. I will… release her once I have judged that Shepard is in a state of recovery."

"I understand," Rangala nodded. "And heading to Earth with a newborn would be rash. Her capsule is very rugged. She won't be much of a handful."

"I'm sure," Liara said, more for the matriarch's benefit than for hers. At this point, Liara was more concerned for her bondmate than this child. Perhaps some would think that was harsh. But Liara had been through too much by now to lose Shepard to an idiotic rear admiral playing leader of his people. Mikhailovich would feel the repercussions of his actions, that much Liara was sure.

"Remember, simply inject the cure through a syringe into Shepard's main artery," Rangala said, handing the former Broker a small titanium case that contained the blue vial that would give Shepard another chance. "The cure should do the rest. Judging by the extent of her injuries, I cannot be certain as to when Shepard will be fully healed. It could be a few months to a few years. But know this: Shepard will recover as long as nothing interrupts the process. Give her a safe environment. A _clean_ environment. And for all of our sakes, take Shepard away from Earth. She will need the comfort only a home with you can provide."

"Would it not be a better idea to keep her in a hospital?" Liara asked, though in her mind she would gladly keep Shepard under her personal observation.

"A simple nurse would be fine to check on her once a day," Rangala replied. "You yourself would be more than adequate. Set her up in a guest bedroom and that will be fine. Besides, hospitals are public. I'm sure you do not want people poking their heads in unannounced."

"Certainly not," Liara agreed.

"Now, about the child," Rangala said softly, kneeling down and retrieving the large capsule from the grass. Liara eyed it wearily. "When you open the capsule, do so in a sterile environment that is easy to clean afterwards. You will need to dry her, but I've prepared the capsule to make the birthing as easy as possible. Simply open the capsule, take the child out, clean her with the softest towels you can find, and feed her. She will be very hungry, and very loud."

"Will she… need to grow accustomed to air?" Liara asked.

"Oh yes," Rangala nodded. "But she will only need a minute to do so; this is how I have engineered her. I assure you, the birth will be very easy. Let her lungs grow used to the air and then feed her. She will be very hungry."

"Feed her?" Liara said softly. "You mean…?"

"Breast-feeding," Rangala agreed. She played with her hands awkwardly and suggested, "You could use pumps, if you find the feeding uncomfortable. Or if you wish, she will not have to feed from you at all. However, if you feel as if you can handle it, I can provide something to start your lactation."

Liara felt sick to her stomach. _Parenthood. Goddess, these things were moving fast, too fast for her liking._ Liara imagined herself breastfeeding…

She must have been visibly uncomfortable, because Rangala added, "I can provide a formula instead if you wish… Regardless what you choose, this child must be nourished."

Liara had read that some humans preferred to use formula or devices to feed their children in the early stages. But it was a taboo in asari culture. Her mother, Benezia, had been a stickler for tradition and culture, and those ideals had been ingrained in Liara's mind from a young age. Regardless of how Liara felt about taking this child in, she would not break from tradition. She would feed the baby from her own body, naturally.

Liara considered herself for just a moment. She was actually thinking about this kind of stuff. And merely a maiden! She shouldn't have been thinking like this, not so soon. But by the goddess, how she had wanted children in the past. Liara supposed that some of those ingrained ideals could be broken. But Liara's dreams about raising children had never been so serious as to consider how to feed a newborn. Liara had always dreamed of a few years after, with daughters eating solid food that had been cooked by Liara and Shepard.

Girls that could walk and string a few words together. Liara felt a wave of realization. She would need to teach this red asari to walk, talk, clean herself, and behave. Liara thought of her relationship with her own mother. Look how that had ended. Liara was sure she could do a better job… right? Would their relationship be better or worse than Liara had had with her mother? Would Liara's inhibitions get in the way of warm feelings and lasting memories?

"I will feed her as any asari mother would," Liara said firmly, taking the capsule into her arms. It was extraordinarily light. "And I'll do better than my mother did." _If _she adopted her.

"Excellent, Doctor T'Soni," Rangala smiled. Her grin faltered, "There is one final matter before I bid you farewell, Doctor. Involving the child, I mean. Unless you mean to homeschool her, she will one day attend school alongside… other children. And as we purebloods know… children are very judgmental." Liara may not have known Rangala well, but she was certainly right about that. "Putting her through school with her condition would be cruel. She doesn't need that kind of torture. When the day comes that you decide to send her to school, contact me." Rangala slipped her hands into her lab coat pockets. "I will provide pigmentation pills to camouflage her."

Pigmentation pills. Simple liquid capsules that turned the pigmentation of your skin different shades. Liara couldn't fathom seeing a child take one, and even if she could, she couldn't see a simple pill changing the child's skin to blue from such a vibrant shade of scarlet. But then Rangala was a medical genius and she would find a way.

"Thank you, Doctor Rangala," Liara nodded. "Now, I must go. I pray that what you say about this cure is true. Otherwise this deal is off." Liara was indeed prepared to return this child to Rangala if the matriarch couldn't keep her claim. Liara had enough to worry about, let alone the care of an infant.

* * *

Liara and Allan made it back down the mountainside by nightfall. It was an entire day's travel with hardly any breaks, and Liara was exhausted. A whole day of scaling rocks, climbing ice, and breathing chilled air that stung the inside of her throat. Then an hour of rest at Rangala's compound before immediately returning down the side of the mountain. And that had been just as hard, especially with the cumbersome capsule carrying such a delicate thing. It may have been light, but that just made Liara worry more that she would drop the child and break the capsule open like an egg.

Liara was still stressed over what could be happening to Shepard on Earth. The planet was a brown and grey husk of its former self, and form orbit large fires could be seen; remnants of the war. Liara remembered staring emotionlessly down at the planet after being practically exiled by the Alliance. And who knew what Shepard was going through? Did Shepard know what was happening to her despite her coma? Was she awake now? Liara bitterly cursed Mikhailovich in her mind, that man wouldn't have even considered informing her of Shepard's decision.

Liara remembered a few years prior when Mikhailovich, then a rear admiral, had demanded to be brought on board the _Normandy_ so he could inspect the state of the ship. Liara had been a much different person then, and while her feelings for Shepard hadn't come to fruition at that time, she had felt a spark of annoyance that Mikhailovich could be so disrespectful. Shepard had remained stoic and allowed the man on board, even after the rear admiral had asked if she remembered what color her blood was. Liara would make him pay, one way or another.

Liara limped towards her ship with the soles of her feet aching terribly. She needed food, a shower, and a long night's sleep. Luckily, she would get the time for all of that on the trip back to Earth.

"Do you think this cure will work, doc?" Allan asked, carrying the case in his pack.

Liara had trusted the trained marine's instincts rather than her own as he had been doing this kind of work for years. He pulled his goggles up and his mask down, and his face still appeared skeptical. Liara knew her own expression was identical.

"I'm running out of time, Allan," Liara huffed, opening the ship with her omni-tool.

The hatch opened on the side of her Demure-class ship, dubbed the _Armali_ after Liara's now devastated home city. Nowhere near the magnificence of the _Normandy_, the _Armali_ paled in comparison. Small, with barely enough room to carry the two of them (or three now with the preborn), the _Armali_ looked beat up and groaned loudly whenever it landed or took off regardless of the level of gravity. Still, it was ships like these that kept the galaxy putting along now. Barely any ships had made it through the war unscathed… just like the people who had built and operated them.

"Yes, ma'am," Allan responded.

Liara was aware that her response hadn't been sufficient enough to really answer the human's question, but her mind and body were too tired for much more. Liara had always been good at operating under a severe lack of sleep, but sometimes it frightened the asari to think that she couldn't remember the last time she even closed her eyes for more than a few minutes. It was a long trip to Earth, and luckily the _Armali_ had an auto pilot. Both Liara and Allan would need rest before they arrived.

"Set a course for Earth," Liara ordered as she climbed aboard, her limbs threatening to give out from beneath her.

The inside of the _Armali_ was a cramped, dark space with a pilot's helm and small area behind that served as a living quarters. Behind that was a communal toilet behind a closed door. The ship covered the bare necessities and that was all. Perhaps _Armali_ wasn't a fitting name for such a poor ship… Liara still felt better about flying in a ship with that name rather than _Rust Bucket_, _Cannon Fodder_, or Brown Streak.

"Got it," Allan replied and climbed into the space behind Liara to sit at the helm.

Liara heard him reach over and seal the airlock. Liara set the capsule down beside her cot and glanced over at Allan. A moment later, the _Armali_ groaned and coughed awake beneath their feet. Liara fell into her cot, still fully dressed, and was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

* * *

Travelling between systems now was an arduous task, even more so than before. Now instead of jumping from one relay to the next, each ship moving through had to go through a checkpoint. There, the ship was scanned and occasionally searched from top to bottom. This was an unfortunate and time consuming requirement due to piracy and idiocy. With the galaxy still in such a disarray, there was no military or security force to look over every planet or system. So piracy had become commonplace with people trying to profit off of other's misfortune. The safest places to be were near the relay's, which were heavily guarded by the remaining militaries that weren't under repair detail. The trip from Thessia to Earth took almost twenty hours.

Liara woke just in time to see the _Armali_ rocket out of the Sol Relay, having slept for the entire trip. She looked over to the other cot and saw that Allan had changed and most likely had slept while the ship was on auto-pilot between relay jumps. Liara's mind quickly cleared of it's grogginess, and she managed to sit up. Her eyes rested on the dark cylinder that contained the red infant.

Now that she had rested and had time to clear her mind, guilt made her stomach churn. She took the capsule in her hands and stared intently at the floating body within. Liara took a long breath.

"What right do I have to judge you?" Liara whispered. "I rejected you before I had even considered the opposite. I'm sorry…"

"Doctor T'Soni," Allan said from the pilot's seat. "We're here, madam."

Liara quietly set aside the capsule containing the child and stood from her bed. She felt sticky and dirty beneath her survival gear. She would need to take a shower before meeting with Mikhailovich. Liara detested the thought of even getting herself ready to meet such a vile person, but she was proud about her appearance and had been ever since working as an information broker on Illium. Appearance was everything, even now.

Liara stared out of the window at the mass of darkness that Earth was now. The planet had been very similar to Thessia not long ago, minus the element zero. And even after the galactic genocide commited by the reapers, they shared similarities, though this time the likeness was detestable. Both planets were ashen husks of their former glory. Over the past year, they would occasionally enflame or shift tectonically. Nature was slowly beginning to retake the planets and shroud the killing fields in lushness, though no evidence of this could be seen from space. At least the fires had stopped for now, and they were better off than some other worlds…

Liara told Allan to continue his descent, knowing very well what their reception would be. She quickly washed and cleaned herself in the back of the ship, stowing the preborn away somewhere where she would be safe for the time being: a confined space beside her bed. It wasn't Liara's preferred option, but it would have to do for now. She dressed in a new skin suit and put on her spare armor, a refurbished Alliance outfit that Ashley had given her some time ago. It carried the logo of the Asari Republics on the shoulders and over her right breast.

"I'll take over, Allan," Liara said. "Go and get suited up before we land."

The human nodded and vacated the pilot's seat for Liara to sit down. As she guided the craft downwards, the darkness of Earth soon enveloped them. She began to make out the dark swirls of storm clouds below. Suddenly, the ship's radars picked up two blips moving her way. A veteran now of this treatment, Liara waited for the two interceptors to hail her.

"Your ship identifies as one belonging to the Asari Republics," came an authoritative voice through the communicator. "State your business."

"My name is Doctor Liara T'Soni," the asari responded. "I'm here to speak with Admiral Mikhailovich about my bondmate, Commander Shepard."

"Stand by, doctor. We'll have to verify this. Continue on your course vector and do not deviate."

Liara waited for several more minutes, bringing the _Armali_ closer to the clouds below. Then, she heard the admiral's irritating voice over the channel.

"Doctor T'Soni," Mikhailovich growled. "You are beginning to irritate me."

"Admiral, I do not wish to keep this idiocy up," Liara replied coolly. "You will allow me to see Shepard face to face, and I will be taking her away from Earth this visit. Earth is no place for her right now."

"And Thessia is?" Mikhailovich prompted. "Thessia is no better off than Earth, besides, Shepard is human. She deserves to be with her own people."

"Shepard hated Earth, do not pretend as if you know what is best for her," Liara snapped. She took a deep breath. "Admiral, I have met with several medical professionals over the past few months, but now I am confident that I have found a solution."

"Leave now, Doctor T'Soni," Mikhailovich warned. "You are a nuisance, and I'll have those fighters shoot you out of the sky if you do not do as I ask."

"Shepard is my bondmate!"

"Not under human law," Mikhailovich replied.

"Shepard is going to die, admiral!" Liara pleaded. "Your medical officers cannot do anything for her anymore! Only I can save her!"

"And I am just supposed to trust your word?" Mikhailovich prompted. "I am done with this conversation."

"If you end this now I will go straight to what remains of the council," Liara warned, "I'll be sure the whole galaxy knows that their savior was barred away, sick and dying, by her own people, and humanity will never recover from this! I'll be sure you go behind bars for the rest of your days, Mikhailovich!"

"Do not threaten me, asari!"

"If you let me go to Shepard this one time, I will never return!" Liara cried. It was a last ditch effort. Her last card. She knew Mikhailovich wanted her gone. And Liara also knew that this cure was her best, and most likely last, bet for her bondmate's survival. And if this didn't work… the council be damned. She would kill Mikhailovich and leave his body for the rest of his race to look at. Or die trying. There was a long silence on the admiral's end.

"You are clear to land, doctor. You and I need to talk face to face."


End file.
